1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical stapling apparatuses that are capable of applying lines of fasteners to tissue while cutting the tissue between those fastener lines and, more particularly, to improvements relating to fastener deployment and formation.
2. Background of Related Art
Endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical apparatuses are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices since a smaller incision tends to reduce the post-operative recovery time and complications. The use of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical procedures has been relatively popular and has provided additional incentive to develop the procedures further. In laparoscopic procedures, surgery is performed in the interior of the abdomen through a small incision. Similarly, in endoscopic procedures, surgery is performed in any hollow viscus of the body through narrow endoscopic tubes inserted through small entrance wounds in the skin.
Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that the surgical region be insufflated. Accordingly, any instrumentation inserted into the body must be sealed to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision. Moreover, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures often require the surgeon to act on organs, tissues and/or vessels far removed from the incision. Thus, apparatuses used in such procedures are typically long and narrow while being functionally controllable from a proximal end of the apparatus.
Significant development has gone into a range of endoscopic surgical apparatuses that are suitable for precise placement of a distal end effector at a desired surgical site through a cannula of a trocar. These distal end effectors engage the tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, staplers, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.).
Known surgical stapling apparatuses include an end effector that makes a longitudinal incision in tissue and subsequently applies lines of fasteners on opposing sides of the incision. The end effector includes a pair of cooperating jaws that, if the apparatus is intended for endoscopic or laparoscopic applications, are capable of passing through a cannula passageway. One of the jaws receives a fastener cartridge having at least two laterally spaced rows of fasteners. The other jaw defines an anvil having fastener-forming pockets aligned with the rows of fasteners in the cartridge. The apparatus includes a plurality of reciprocating wedges or cam bars which, when driven distally, pass through openings in the fastener cartridge and engage drivers supporting the fasteners to effect the firing of the fasteners toward the anvil.
Small videoscopes of various types (e.g., endoscopes) are relied upon to monitor proper positioning and operation of the surgical stapling apparatus. While effective to a degree, it is desirable to have improved monitoring of operation of the surgical stapling apparatus, especially if such monitoring enables improved fastener deployment and formation quality performed by the surgical stapling apparatus. When utilizing stapling devices containing multiple fasteners in each cartridge load, it is also beneficial to determine which fasteners are being deployed and formed properly. It is important to understand where formation or progression problems lie because there are various clearance and deformation issues that can influence proper fastener deployment and formation.
Consequently, a continuing need exists for an improved surgical stapling and severing apparatus that incorporates fastener deployment and formation pressure monitoring capabilities to assure the mechanical and hemostatic integrity of a surgical stapling device.